422 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. L. 
my thanks to the sultan for his present, as well as for 
the permission to depart, I told the messenger that, if 
they wished that either I or my brother (companion) 
should ever visit their country again, the sultan ought 
to give me a paper, testifying his permission by a 
special writ, sealed with his own royal seal. This they 
promised, and moreover told me that a man from 
the sultan should accompany me to the river, in 
order to protect me against any further intrigues of 
the ferrymen, my great enemies. 
The sultan's munificence, although not great, en- 
abled me to reward my friends and attendants. 
I had already divided the tiirkedi which I had 
received from Kiikawa, among those nearest to 
me, except two or three, which I sold in the market 
in order to buy provisions. And of these tobes like- 
wise I divided thirty among the people of Zerma, my 
own attendants, the faki Sambo, Bu-Bakr, and my 
other friends. The poor Haj A'hmed, who sustained 
himself here with great difficulty, was very grateful 
for my present, and offered up fervent prayers for 
my safe arrival at home, although he would have 
liked better if I had accompanied him on his journey 
eastward through Waday and Dar-Fur. 
But, although on my first arrival in this country I 
had entertained the hope that it might be possible to 
accomplish such an undertaking, I had convinced my- 
self that, not taking into account my entire want of pro- 
per means, it would be imprudent, under the present 
circumstances, to attempt such a thing ; for the state 
